MOUNT  CARBON  COAL  COMPANY 


AS  TO  THE 


BEST  AND  CHEAPEST  MODE  OF  COMMUNICATION 


THE  COAL  MINES 


MOUNT  CARBON  COAL  COMPANY, 


JACKSON  COUNTS',  ILLINOIS, 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER. 


BY 

RANDOLPH  COYLE, 

CIVIL    ENGINEER. 


WASHINGTON: 

PRINTED   BY   JNO.    T.    TOWERS, 

1851. 


•>    •    ^ 

,  /•.•  v>cv\»; 


.". 


REPORT. 

CUMBERLAND,  MD.,  September,  1850. 
To  WM.  A.  BRADLEY,  Esq.,  President  of  the 

Mount  Carbon  Coal  Company,  Washington. 

SIR  :  In  compliance  with  your  instructions  of  23d  April  last,  I 
report  the  results  of  my  surveys  and  estimates  as  to  the  best  and 
cheapest  mode  of  getting  the  Mount  Carbon  Company's  coal  from 
their  mines  on  Big  Muddy  river,  to  the  Mississippi  river. 

Obviously,  either  the  Big  Muddy  river  must  be  improved  in 
such  manner  as  to  secure  a  safe  and  constant  navigation,  or  a 
railway  must  be  constructed.  The  first  point  to  be  decided  is, 
which  of  these  plans  shall  be  adopted  ;  and  in  determining  that 
point,  we  must  examine  as  to  which  plan  will  afford  us  the  safest, 
most  regular,  and  cheapest  conveyance. 

The  principal  obstructions  to  the  navigation  of  the  Big  Muddy 
river  are,  a  sandstone  bar  about  \\  miles  below  the  mine,  a 
similar  bar  about  5  miles  lower  down,  and  an  extensive  mud  bar, 
varying  constantly  in  its  length  and  the  depth  of  water  over  it,  at 
and  for  a  considerable  distance  above  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
The  two  obstructions  first  named,  could  only  be  overcome  by  the 
construction  of  a  dam  of  such  elevation  as  to  secure  the  requisite 
minimum  depth  over  them.  The  last,  the  mud  bar,  would  be  un- 
manageable ;  it  could  neither  be  removed  nor  confined.  It  is 
formed  by  deposit  from  the  Mississippi  when  that  river  is  hiiih, 
and  Muddy  river  is  low ;  is  shifted  and  partially  removed  when 
the  Mississippi  falls  and  Muddy  river  rises,  and  is  formed  again 
by  the  next  freshet  of  the  Mississippi.  It  would  be  necessary 
then  to  avoid  it  by  cutting  a  canal  from  the  dam  mentioned  above, 
through  the  bottom  land  which  intervenes  between  the  Big  Mud- 
dy and  the  Mississippi,  to  the  most  convenient  good  landing  place 
on  the  latter  stream. 

The  "  navigation  "  then  would  consist  of  the  dam  with  its  pool 
of  slack  water,  the  guard  lock  at  the  head  of  the  canal,  the  canal 
about  three  miles  in  length,  with  its  outlet  locks  into  the  Missis- 
sippi river. 

All  of  these  works,  as  they  would  have  to  resist  the  action  of 
very  heavy  floods,  would  require  to  be  constructed  in  the  best  and 


most  substantial  manner,  with  foundations  entirely  artificial,  and 
of  the  most  expensive  character;  and  after  all  that  skill  and 
money  could  do,  they  must  remain  not  perfectly  secure,  for  the 
reason  that  they  could  only  be  built  upon  and  connected  with  al- 
luvium. The  guard  lock  at  the  head  of  the  canal  could  only  be 
effectual  to  protect  and  secure  its  navigation,  during  the  period 
of  low  water  and  ordinary  freshets.  Extreme  floods  now  cover 
the  bottom  land  through  which  the  canal  would  be  cut,  and  the 
immense  extent  of  this  "  bottom,"  renders  the  construction  of  a 
guard  bank  adequate  to  secure  it  at  all  times,  impossible.  After 
every  flood,  which  should  remain  over  it  for  a  few  days,  the  canal 
would  have  to  be  partially  re-excavated,  and  near  the  dam  and 
entrance  to  the  guard  lock,  there  would  be  work  for  a  dredging 
machine  during  some  portion  of  every  year ;  for  Big  Muddy  river 
is  exactly  what  its  name  imports ;  in  flood  or  drought,  it  is  al- 
ways muddy,  and  wherever  it  encounters  an  obstacle,  there  of 
course  it  deposits  its  sediment. 

These  facts,  which  I  have  stated  thus  diffusely,  in  deference  to 
the  understood  prepossessions  of  some  of  the  parties  interested,  led 
me  to  conclude  that  the  "  navigation  "  would  be  more  expensive 
to  construct ;  in  view  of  its  liability  to  very  heavy  damage,  more 
expensive  to  maintain,  and  in  view  of  its  liability  to  interruption 
from  freshets,  less  to  be  depended  upon  for  a  regular  and  steady 
business,  than  a  railway.  Therefore,  with  reference  to  a  railway, 
the  surveys  were  conducted. 

The  line  of  road  determined  upon  after  reconnoisance  of  the 
country  between  the  mines  and  the  Mississippi,  keeps  the  valley 
of  Big  Muddy  river  on  the  south  side  of  the  stream  (the  side  on 
which  the  mines  are  situated)  for  eight  miles.  Here  Kincaid 
creek  empties  into  Muddy  river  from  the  north,  and  the  course  of 
Muddy  river,  which,  from  the  mines  is  generally  about  west, 
changes  to  the  south.  Immediately  below  the  mouth  of  Kincaid 
creek,  the  line  crosses  Muddy  river,  and  thence  runs  south-west 
across  the  "Mississippi  bottom"  5TVrr  miles,  to  a  point  on  the  river 
known  as  the  "White  House  Landing."  Here  the  channel  of  the 
Mississippi  is,  and  within  the  memory  of  the  oldest  pilots,  always 
has  been  close  along  the  Illinois  shore,  and  from  the  fixed  causes 
above  which  regulate  the  currents,  it  must  always  remain  so. 

At  the  lower  end  of  Fountain  Bluff,  at  "  Grand  Tower  Land- 
ing," would  be  a  much  more  convenient  site  for  a  river  depot,  if 
a  very  large  business,  or  any  other  than  a  coal  business,  should 


be  contemplated.  This  appeared  to  me  to  be,  for  the  purposes  of 
a  general  trade  with  the  neighboring  counties  of  Illinois,  alto- 
gether the  most  advantageous  site  on  either  the  Mississippi  or 
Ohio  rivers,  within  100  miles  of  their  junction.  To  terminate 
there  would,  however,  add  three  miles  to  the  length  of  the  road, 
and  more  than  the  proportionate  increase  due  to  that  distance  to 
the  expense  of  working  it.  While,  for  the  purposes  at  present 
contemplated  by  the  company,  it  was  not  deemed  advisable  to 
recommend  this  additional  expense,  it  was  thought  that  a  branch 
to  that  point  might  hereafter  possibly  be  found  to  be  a  good  invest- 
ment. To  ascertain  accurately  its  relative  position  to  the  road 
and  the  topography  of  the  intervening  country,  a  compass  line 
was  therefore  traced,  as  shown  upon  map  sheet  No.  2. 

Of  that  portion  of  the  line  of  the  railroad  which  pursues  the 
valley  of  Big  Muddy  river,  the  graduation  will  be,  though  cheap, 
yet  more  costly  than  I  had  hoped  to  find  it.  This  is  caused  by 
the  great  number  of  small  streams  which  empty  into  Muddy 
river,  and  which  cut  wide  and  deep  valleys  through  the  "  bottom." 
The  sediment  which  these  streams,  when  swollen,  bring  down,  is 
deposited  generally  at  their  mouths  where  their  currents  encoun- 
ter, and  are  backed  by  the  waters  of  the  river.  Consequently 
their  valleys  are  narrowest  there,  and  widen  out  with  undimin- 
ished  depth  towards  the  hills.  Therefore,  generally,  to  avoid  ex- 
pensive embankments  or  tressel  work,  the  road  must  cross  them 
near  the  river  bank.  This  necessity  frequently  compels  the  line 
of  the  road,  between  these  little  streams,  to  lie  on  the  "  bottom 
lands,"  when  it  would  be  cheaper  and  better  to  be  on  the  foot  of 
the  slopes ;  and  for  the  whole  extent  of  the  graduation  of  the  river 
division,  causes  an  excess  of  embankment  over  the  excavation. 
Generally,  however,  all  requisite  earth  can  be  obtained  very  con- 
venient to  the  spot  where  it  is  needed,  and,  except  at  the  cross- 
ings of  the  lateral  streams,  the  necessary  ditches  for  draining  the 
roadway  will  afford  all  the  material  that  will  be  required. 
Wherever  it  would  be  materially  cheaper  to  support  the  road  on 
piles  or  on  tressells,  than  to  make  embankment,  that  method  has 
been  contemplated  in  the  estimate  ;  and  in  the  estimate  for  annual 
repairs,  the  addition  has  been  made  which  was  due  to  that  kind 
of  work- 

The  portion  of  the  road  which  is  between  Muddy  river  and  the 
Mississippi,  is  almost  exclusively  in  embankment,  varying  in 
height  from  l£  to  5  feet.  It  is  necessary  here  to  keep  above  the 


6 

surface,  which  is  too  flat  to  drain  itself,  and,  though  above  the 
floods  of  the  rivers,  is,  during  rainy  seasons,  often  covered  with 
water  to  the  depth  of  12  to  18  inches.  The  soil  is  close  and  firm, 
and  for  the  very  reason  that  it  holds  water  so  well,  is  of  excellent 
quality  for  embankment.  The  ditches  that  must  here  be  cut  on 
either  side  of  the  road,  will  supply  the  requisite  amount  of  mate- 
rial for  the  bank,  affording  a  firm  graduation  at  a  very  small  cost. 

Near  both  ends  of  the  road  are  excellent  and  convenient  sites 
for  the  erection  of  depots,  sheds,  shops,  and  all  other  structures 
which  a  large  coal  business  may  require ;  and  near  the  end  of  the 
7th  mile,  on  the  land  of  Mr.  Worthen,  is  an  excellent  site  for  a 
turn-out  and  water  station.  The  site  for  the  depot,  &c.,  at  the 
mines,  is  a  fine  piece  of  high  bottom  land  on  the  company's 
ground,  about  200  yards  below  the  present  opening  of  the  mines. 

In  calculating  the  cost  of  the  graduation,  it  was  assumed  that 
the  top  of  the  rail  at  the  mine  depot,  should  be  two  feet  above  the 
highest  known  flood  of  Muddy  river ;  that  for  eight  miles,  to  the 
west  end  of  the  bridge  across  the  Muddy  river,  the  grade  should 
be  level ;  in  the  next  two  miles,  descending  towards  the  Missis- 
sippi river  four  feet,  being  two  feet  per  mile ;  and  thence  to  the 
termination  of  the  road  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  level. 
Practically  it  may  be  taken  as  a  level  road  throughout.  This 
arrangement  of  grades  puts  the  road  above  all  known  floods,  ex- 
cept the  great  Mississippi  flood  of  1840,  which  was  3TW  feet 
above  the  grade  assumed  at  the  mine  depot.  As,  however,  the 
timber  gives  unimpeachable  testimony  that  no  flood  as  high  as 
that  by  1 5  feet  had  occurred  in  the  Mississippi  for  300  years,  it 
was  thought  not  rash  to  plan  and  estimate  without  reference  to  it. 

In  tracing  the  line,  having  no  previous  survey  to  guide  me,  it 
was  of  course  impracticable  for  me  to  do  any  thing  better  than 
run  a  mere  random  or  guide  line,  and  take  such  notes  of  this  and 
the  ground  on  either  side  of  it  as  could,  if  properly  recorded,  en- 
able an)r  one  who  might  succeed  me,  to  work  with  comparative 
facility  and  certainty.  This  was  done.  The  field  notes  were 
taken  by  myself  with  great  care.  The  topographical  maps  sub- 
mitted herewith,  were  drawn  by  me  from  my  own  notes,  and  will 
be  found  to  be  minutely  accurate,  conveying  at  a  glance,  to  a 
professional  eye,  a  better  idea  of  the  nature  of  every  portion  of 
the  line  and  the  various  modifications  of  trace  which  the  ground 
will  permit,  than  could  be  had  from  the  most  careful  description, 
even  if  aided  by  personal  inspection  without  such  maps.  Upon 


the  maps  are  shown,  in  black,  the  line  surveyed,  and  in  red,  a  line 
of  location  projected  upon  the  random  line.    This,  of  course,  can 
be  greatly  improved  upon,  and  is  given  only  as  a  convenient  ba- 
sis for  the  operations  of  your  locating  engineer. 
Upon  this  line  there  is — 

-     39,947  feet. 
603  feet,  1,042  feet. 


Of  tangent, 

Of  curvature  with  radius  of 


Do. 

do. 

716  " 

1,337 

Do. 

do. 

911  " 

374 

Do. 

do. 

977  " 

1,637 

Do. 

do. 

1,014  " 

947 

Do. 

do. 

1,432^  " 

2,756 

Do. 

do. 

1,650  " 

1,354 

Do. 

do. 

1,684  " 

882 

Do. 

do. 

1,800  " 

3,660 

Do. 

do. 

2,026  " 

972 

Do. 

do. 

2,229  " 

754 

Do. 

do. 

2,454  " 

3,772 

Do. 

do. 

2,865  " 

362 

Do. 

do. 

3,300  " 

2,592 

Do. 

do. 

3,418  " 

2,476 

Do. 

do. 

3,820  " 

1,067 

Do. 

do. 

4,762  " 

977 

Do. 

do. 

5,150  " 

629 

Do. 

do. 

5,730  " 

5,750 

Total  of  curved  line,  - 


33,340 


»  Total  length  of  line,    -         .    pfo!         -     73,287    " 

Or,-          ..-/  ,.,-;>  13TVv  miles. 

In  estimating  the  graduation,  the  quantities  were  calculated 
station  by  station,  upon  the  line  as  run,  without  any  allowance 
whatever  for  the  improvements  which  a  careful  location  must  en- 
sure. The  prices  assumed,  were  those  which  are  current  at  this 
time  upon  the  public  works  in  this  vicinity,  without  any  deduction 
for  the  greater  cheapness  of  food  in  Illinois  than  here.  This 
course  was  adopted  to  guard  against  the  error  of  estimating  too 
low,  and  thereby  involving  the  company  in  any  greater  expense 
than  they  shall  have  been  fully  advised  of. 

Estimates  are  submitted  of  the  cost  of  constructing,  equipping, 
working  and  maintaining  several  different  plans  of  road.  The 
amount  of  business  assumed  is  the  same  in  ever)r  case,  viz :  47,- 
000  tons  per  year,  or  about  150  tons  daily  for  every  day  in  the 
working  year.  This  additional  supply  can  safely  be  put  in  mar- 
ket at  the  present  time  without  sensibly  affecting  prices ;  indeed, 


8 

the  demand  will  be  very  likely  to  increase  with  increased  facili- 
ties of  supply. 

The  plans  and  estimates  of  roads  are  as  follows : 

First.  For  a  road  of  three  feet  guage,  without  iron  rail;  to  be 
used,  of  course,  exclusively  with  animal  power. 

The  plan  of  superstructure  estimated  for  this  road,  consists  of 
sub-sills  3  by  6  inches,  on  which  rest  cross-ties,  not  hewn  or 
sawed,  but  split  out  in  sizes  to  bed  not  less  than  8,  and  rise  not 
less  than  6  inches.  These  cross-ties  to  be  two  feet  apart  from 
centre  to  centre,  and  notched  to  receive  the  stringers  which  will 
be  keyed  into  them.  In  addition  to  the  keying,  the  string  pieces 
to  be  pinned  with  locust  pins  of  1  inch  diameter,  at  intervals  of 
5  feet,  to  the  cross-ties  and  sills.  The  string  pieces  to  be  3  by  4 
inches.  On  top  of  the  string  pieces  is  to  be  nailed  a  strip  or  rib- 
bon of  straight  grained  maple  2  by  1^  inches,  in  lieu  of  iron  rail. 
All  of  the  timber  except  the  "ribbon,"  to  be  of  best  white  oak  or 
"  overcup  oak."  The  track  to  be  filled  in,  to  form  a  horse  path, 
with  broken  stone  or  slate  from  the  mines,  to  the  height  of  the 
top  of  the  cross-ties. 

A  road  constructed  on  this  plan,  except  that  the  sub-sill  is  dis- 
pensed with,  is  now  in  use  in  this  vicinity,  and  is  by  far  the  best 
road  for  the  purpose  that  I  have  ever  seen.  The  maple  strip  after 
a  little  use,  acquires  a  smooth  polished  surface  and  lasts  as  a  rail 
much  longer  than  oak  and  other  woods  which  splinter  and  wear 
rough.  The  animals  can  draw  better  loads  over  it,  and  the  cost 
of  repairs  is  diminished  by  it.  I  have  included  the  sub-sill  in  this, 
and  in  all  the  plans,  for  the  reason  that  on  the  whole  line  of  the 
road,  there  is  very  little  material  for  ballasting  to  be  had.  After 
the  track  is  laid  and  material  for  ballasting  can  be  cheaply  trans- 
ported over  it  from  the  mine  and  the  few  other  points  from  which 
it  is  procurable,  it  will  be  better  gradually  to  dispense  with  the 
sub-sill  altogether. 

The  following  is  the  estimate  in  detail  for  one  mile  of  the  above 
described  track : 

1 6,000  ft.  sub-sills,  3  by  6  inches,  at  $  1 0  per  m.  delivered,  $  1 60  00 
2,640  cross-ties,  split,  barked  and  delivered  100  yards 

apart,       -        -                          -  79  20 

12,000  ft.  stringers,  3  by  4  inches,  at  $10  pr.  m.  delivered,  120  00 

2,1 12  locust  pins,  1  inch  in  diameter,  at  $4  per  m.  8  45 
Ribbon  of  straight  grained  maple,  2  by  1^  inches,  at 

per  m. -  52  80 


Laying  track,  including  boring  and  pinning  stringers  to 
sleepers  and  sills,  notching  ties,  nails  and  nailing 
on  the  "  ribbon,"  -  -  267  90 

Cost  of  1  mile  of  track,     ^-  -    $68745 

The  prices  given  above  for  the  materials  are  those  which  are 
now  current  in  the  country  traversed  by  the  road.  The  prices  of 
the  workmanship  have  been  demonstrated  by  actual  experience 
to  be  ample. 

The  cost  of  the  road  with  the  above  plan  of  track  will  be  as 
follows  : 

Graduation  and  clearing  whole  distance,  13TW  miles,  $1  1,696  00 
Culverts  and  drains,  -        -  1,230  00 

Bridges  —  Lewis'  Creek,  35  ft.  span,  -     $250  00 

Stone  Quarry  Branch,  25  ft.  span,      180  00 
Muddy  river,  2  spans  150  ft.  each,  4,500  00 

4,930  00 


miles  of  track  of  railway,  at  $687  45  per  mile,  9,541  80 
13TVir  miles  of  horse-path,  at  $220  per  mile,  -  -  3,053  60 
Turnouts,  sidings,  &c.,  -  -  -  1,000  00 

$31,451  40 
Superintendence  and  contingencies,  15  per  cent.,      -       4,717  71 


Total  cost  of  road,  -        -        -   $36,169  11 

The  cost  of  stocking  this  road  for  a  daily  business  of  150  tons 
is  estimated  thus :  The  coal  will  be  taken  to  the  river  in  the 
same  car  into  which  it  is  loaded  in  the  mine.  The  most  conve- 
nient capacity  for  these  cars  is  found  to  be  two  tons,  therefore  75 
loaded  cars  daily  must  pass  down  the  road.  They  will  make  the 
trip  down  and  back  the  same  day,  and  while  75  cars  are  on  the 
road,  75  more  must  be  loading  at  the  mines,  making  150  cars. 
It  is  found  cheaper  and  better  every  way  to  use  mules  than  horses, 
and  on  such  a  road  for  such  work  to  use  the  mules  in  tandem 
teams  of  three.  Each  of  these  teams  will  take  down  5  cars,  con- 
taining 10  tons  net  of  coal,  and  return  with  the  empty  cars.  This 
gives  us  15  teams  or  45  mules  on  the  road.  Two  mules  will  do 
the  hauling  out  at  the  mines.  Now  to  provide  against  accidents 
it  will  be  prudent  to  add  to  this  stock  of  150  cars  and  47  mules 
TV,  or  in  other  words,  to  assume  that  1 1  cars  and  mules  must  be 
on  hand  to  ensure  10  cars  and  mules  at  work,  which  gives  165 
cars  and  52  mules.  The  cars  with  20  inch  cast  iron  wheels, 
wrought  iron  axles,  oak  bodies  with  hinged  ends,  bound  and 


10 

braced  with  iron,  will  weigh  900  Ibs.  each,  and  will  cost  delivered 
at  the  river  depot  $40  each.    Picked  mules  will  cost  say  $70  each. 

165  cars,  at  $40,     -        -      '  -        -     >  .  -,   >        .  $6,60000 

52  mules,  at  $70,           ....     t  ^  S*iO  3,64000 

52  sets  of  harness,  at  $6,       -         -         -                  -.,  31200 

Depots,  sheds,  shops,  stables,  &c.,  -              \  w'    v;;./r  3,00000 

Wharf-boats  and  appurtenances,     -         •     <-v>r..r      -  600  00 


Total  equipment,          -        -        -     ;  2:"     -     $14,152  00 
Cost  of  road,         -         -         -         -         -         -        36,169  11 


Total  cost  and  equipment  of  wooden  track  wood,    -     $50,321  11 

The  annual  charges  against  the  business  on  the  wooden  track 
road  will  be  as  follows : 
Repairs  and  renewal  of  graduation,  bridges,  railway 

track  and  horse  path,   -     >,*  1     -        -                 -     $2,356  00 

Repairs  and  renewal  of  mine  cars,  15  p.  c.  of  first  cost,          990  00 

Wear  and  tear  and  loss  of  mules,  10  p.  c.,         -                    364  00 

Repairs  and  renewal  of  harness,  25  p.  c.,        '  »  :     -             78  00 
Repairs  of  buildings,  &c.,  5  p.  c.,     -         -     -\£ ;'  •/<£/       15000 

Repairs  and  renewal  of  wharf-boats,  &c.,  20  p.  c.,     -           120  00 

Feeding  52  mules,  at  12^  cts.  per  day,      -         -    '     -        2,372  50 

Shoeing  52  mules,  at  $6,                    -                  -                    312  00 

Grease  for  cars,        -        ...                 .                   200  00 
Wages  of  17  drivers,  at  75  cts.  per  day,  (each  team 

must  have  1,  and  2  must  be  at  the  mine,)     -         -        4,653  75 
Superintendence,  clerk  hire,  and  wages  of  labor  at 

wharf-boats,          -         -         -        -     1;V-^' ^<*z-::  *•  £'"    2,500  00 


Total  annual  charges  on  wooden  road,  -        -   $14,096  25 

Second.  For  a  road  of  three  feet  guage  with  string  pieces  plated 
with  a  bar  2  by  -f  inches,  to  be  used  with  mules,  or  with  light 
locomotive  engines  and  the  mine  cars. 

The  plan  of  superstructure  estimated  for  this  road  is  the  same 
with  that  of  the  "  wooden  road,"  except  that  a  stringer  one-fourth 
heavier  is  adopted. 

The  estimate  for  1  mile  of  track  is  as  follows : 

Sub-sills,  cross-ties  and  locust  pins,  (as  in  wooden  road,)  $247  65 

14,500  ft.  stringers,  4  by  4  inches,  at  $10  per  m.,  -  145  00 

20  tons  plate  rails,  2  by  £  inches,  at  $45,  -  -  -  900  00 

4  inch  spikes,  -  ....  60  00 
Laying  track,  including  notching  sleepers,  boring  and 

pinning  stringers,  and  spiking  down  the  plate,  -  267  00 
Ballasting,  (it  will  serve  for  horse  path  if  animal  power 

is  used,)  -     >*»•*{  ui*M     -                                             -  270  00 

$1,889  65 


11 

The  cost  of  the  road  with  the  above  plan  of  track  will  be  as 
follows : 
Graduation,  clearing,  culverts,  drains,  &c.,  (as   on 

"  wooden  road,")  -  -   $12,926  00 

Bridges  over  Lewis'  creek,  Stone  Quarry  branch  and 

Muddy  river,         ....  .  6,000  00 

13TVT  miles  of  track  of  railway,  at  81,889  65  per  mile,      26,228  34 
Turnouts,  sidings,  &c.,      -  ....        1,500  00 


$46,654  34 
Superintendence  and  contingencies,  12^  p.  c.    -         -        5,831  79 


Total  cost  of  road,          -     1  -.;  >     -         -         -   $52,486  13 

The  cost  of  equipping  this  road  for  a  daily  business  of  150  tons, 
with  mine  cars  and  mules,  is  estimated  thus:  As  but  one  trip 
will  be  made  per  day  on  this  as  on  the  "  wooden  road,"  the  num- 
ber of  cars  will  remain  the  same,  viz.:  165.  The  teams  of  3  mules 
will,  however,  draw  on  this  road,  each  team,  7  cars ;  wherefore  the 
number  of  mules,  including  2  at  the  mines,  and  adding  TV  as  be- 
fore, will  be  reduced  to  39. 

165  cars,  at  840,     .V   :   ...      -        -     -  ,.        -         -      $6,60000 
39  mules,  at  870,    ....  -  2,730  00 

39  sets  harness,  at  $6, 234  00 

Depots,  sheds,  shops,  stables,  &c.,     -     y^t "'  ''•  -*«R  -  .-"'t    3,000  00 
Wharf-boat  and  appurtenances,       ....  600  00 

Total  cost  of  equipment  for  mule  power,        -   $13,164  00 

The  cost  of  equipping  the  same  road  for  the  same  business  with 
mine  cars  and  small  locomotive  engines,  is  estimated  thus : 

Two  locomotive  engines  and  tenders  must  be  had,  one 
for  daily  use,  and  one  on  hand  in  case  of  accident. 
These  can  be  made  and  delivered  for  $4,250  each,  88,500  00 
The  engine  will  make  3  trips  per  day,  taking  down 
25  loaded  cars  and  returning  with  same  cars  empty. 
This  requires  for  use  of  the  road  50  cars,  add  jV  as 
before.  55  cars  at  $40,  -  2,200  00 

4  mules  and  harness  at  876,    -  ...  304  00 

Depots,  water  stations,  engine  houses,  shops,  sheds,  &c.        4,000  00 
Wharf-boats  and  appurtenances,      ...  600  00 

Total  cost  of  equipment  for  locomotives,        -   815,604  00 

Total  cost  of  road  and  equipment  for  mule  power,    -    865,650  00 
Total  cost  of  road  and  equipment  for  locomotive,      -   868,090  13 


12 

The  annual  charges  against  the  business  on  this  road  will  be 
as  follows  with  mule  power : 

Repairs  and  renewal  of  graduation,  bridges,  culverts, 

and  railway  track,  -  -  $2,180  00 

All  other  items  of  charge  on  same  basis  as  is  given 

above  for  the  "  wooden  road,"  -  -  -  .'••  •  9,863  63 


Total  annual  charges  with  mule  power,         -    $12,043  63 

With  small  locomotives : 
Repairs  and  renewal  of  graduation,  bridges,  culverts, 

track,  &c.,                      $1,700  00 

Repairs  and  renewal  of  engine  and  tender,      >         -  1,00000 

Repairs  and  renewal  of  cars,    -     V.        .         _     tf&lj  660  00 

Grease,  oil,  cotton  waste  and  fuel,    -                 -     ,;  V-  550  00 

Feeding  and  shoeing  4  mules,  206  50 
Depreciation  of  mules,  and  repairs  and  renewal  of 

harness,         ...                  ....  34  00 

Repairs  of  depots,  water  stations,  shops,  &c.     -     ' '.;^  200  00 

Repairs  of  wharf-boats  and  appurtenances,      -  120  00 
Wages  of  engineman,  fireman,  and  brakeman,  312 

days,  at  $4  per  day,       -  1,248  00 
Superintendence,  clerk  hire,  and  wages  of  laborers 

at  river,                  -         -                  -         -     »;-  ,,     -  2,500  00 

Wages  of  2  drivers  at  mines,  365  days,  at  75  cts.      -  547  50 


Total  annual  charges  with  small  locomotives,     $8,766  00 
Third.     For  a  road  of  the  usual  4ft.  8|  inches  guage,  with  light 
stringers  and  Z  rail  weighing  38lb.  per  yard,  to  be  furnished  with 
locomotive  engines  and  iron  coal  cars  of  the  most  approved  con- 
struction. 

The  plan  of  track  estimated  for  this  road  is  generally  the  same 
as  the  others,  varying  only  in  the  increased  weight  of  the  timber 
and  the  fastening  of  the  rail,  which,  the  Z  rail  being  adopted,  will 
be  by  screw  bolts  passing  horizontally  through  the  stringers. 
The  estimate  for  1  mile  of  track  of  this  road  is  as  follows : 

22,000  ft.  sub-sills,  3  by  8  in.,  at  $10  per  m.  delivered,         $220  00 
2,640  cross-ties  7  ft.  long,  flattened  on  the  opposite 
sides  to  thickness  of  6  inches,  dressed,  notched, 
and  delivered,  at  15  cts.,  -  396  00 

20,000  ft.  stringers,  4  by  5  in.,  at  $10  per  m.  delivered  200  00 

60  tons  Z  rail  (38  Ibs.  per  yard,)  at  $45,      -         -        2,700  00 
^  inch  screw  bolts  for  fastening  rail  to  stringer,         -  300  00 

Laying  track,  -  ....  400  00 

Ballasting  with  slate,  &c.  from  mine,  (to  be  done  after 
track  is  laid,)          ...... 


Cost  of  1  mile  of  railway  track  with  Z  rail,     $4,606  00 


13 

The  cost  of  the  road  with  the  above  plan  of  track  will  be  as 
follows : 

Graduation  and  clearing  whole  distance,  13TW  miles,   $15,488  00 
Culverts  and  drains,         -                           -  1,840  00 

Bridges,             ....                  -  ;  >        9,425  00 

13TW  miles  of  railway  track,  at  $4,606  per  mile,      -      63,73128 
Turnouts,  sidings,  &c., '  -  ;.    2,500  00 


$92,984  28 
Superintendence  and  contingencies,  10  p.  c.      -        «v     9,298  42 

Total  cost  of  road,  $102,28270 

The  cost  of  equipping  this  road  is  estimated  as  follows : 
2  locomotive  engines  and  tenders,  at  $6,250  delivered,   $12,500  00 
1 6  six- wheeled  iron  coal-cars,  at  $425  delivered,        -        6,800  00 
4  mine  cars,  mules,  and  sets  of  harness,  -         -  464  00 

Depots,  water  stations,  engine  house,  &c.,  wharf-boats 

and  appurtenances,  &c.,  &c.,         -     ::c*f  •      -     <>n.      5,10000 


Total  cost  of  equipment  of  road,     ...   $24,864  00 


Total  cost  of  construction  and  equipment  of  road,       $127,146  78 
The  annual  charges  against  the  business  on  this  road  will  be 
as  follows : 

Repairs  and  renewal  of  railway,  bridges,  &c.,  &c.,  -  $2,500  00 
Repairs  and  renewal  of  engine  and  tender,  -  "-'  -:A<  900  00 
Repairs  and  renewal  of  cars,  ...  **'»  .  600  00 

Grease,  oil,  cotton-waste,  and  fuel,  -  -  -  *",**> \  540  00 
All  other  charges  on  same  basis  as  is  shown  above,  4,856  00 

$9,396  00 

The  foregoing  estimates,  it  will  be  observed,  include  the  expense 
of  hauling  the  coal  out  from  the  mine. 

Assuming  a  miner's  wages,  lights  and  tools  at  $1  75  per  day, 
the  cost  of  mining  and  loading  the  coal,  and  setting  the  props  in 
the  mine,  will  be  30  cents  per  ton.  In  addition  to  this,  45  cents 
per  ton  will  be  ample  to  pay  for  mine  tracks  and  props,  giving 
75  cents  per  ton  chargeable  against  the  coal  when  first  loaded 
into  the  cars  in  the  mine,  or,  chargeable  against  47,000  tons,  at 
75  cents  per  ton,  $35,250  00. 

The  estimates  have  assumed  the  regular  mining,  transportation 
and  sale  of  150  tons  daily.  In  actual  working  there  can  be  no 
such  regularity.  To  allow  for  the  extra  handling  consequent 
upon  the  irregularity  of  trade  and  also  for  waste,  we  will  add  10 
per  cent,  to  the  above  $35,250  00,  which  will  give  as  the  constant 
charge  against  the  coal  $38,775  00. 


14 


Consolidating  the  results  given  above,  we  have  the  following 

Table  showing  the  cost  per  ton  of  the  coal  to  the  Company  at  the 
river  on  each  of  the  plans  of  road  presented. 


e'S 

K<~T3 

<u    -o 

1                    Q 

o  •  c  « 

.2 

cL      a 

C  ^jj  O 

'—    .« 

o  .c  o  c 

S  e 

oo   a 

E    -t-T 

-  §.§ 

fC    J-"    00     g 

Description  of  Road. 

g  v 
tt  | 

it 

X    o 

55  o  e 
o  .j 

*•  e  'S  c 

«  5  o  a> 

O,  00     0 

£  > 

T  «  J 

03  o?j    r  Q 
S    -  ° 

•<*>.£!  o. 
-Ill 

o 

f—   **-     . 

^S      i*  & 

be  2  ^^ 

O."e5       O 

O    03    C  °O 

E 

O        H3 
_  "2    cj 

g  a'a'i 

flu  J  I 

£  ^  «°- 

—     CD  ^  "C 
03    C     3    C3 

o. 

oo    C    o 

*    OJ    O    D1 

2  c  «^  ^< 

•s  o  —  o 

To 

BSE 

p  O  V  * 

o  i;  u  S 

O 

O 

•-1 

* 

•H 

^H 

O 

3   ft.   road    with    wooden 

rails  —  mules  

$50,321 

$3,019 

$38,775 

$14,096 

$55,890 

$1   18.9 

3  ft.  road  with  plate  rail  — 

mules  

65,650 

3,939 

38,775 

12,044 

54,758 

1  16.5 

3  ft.  road  with  plate  rail  — 

locomotive.  .......       . 

68,090 

4,085 

38,775 

8,766 

51,626 

1  098 

4  ft.  8^  in.  road  with  Z 

rail,  38  Ibs.  per  yard  

127,147 

7,629 

38,775 

9,396 

55,800 

1  18.7 

From  this  it  is  seen  that,  for  a  busines  of  47,000  tons  per  an- 
num, the  3  ft.  road,  with  plate  rails,  small  locomotive,  and  mine 
cars,  is  cheaper  than  the  same  road  with  mules,  by  $3,152  per 
annum — cheaper  than  the  wooden  rail  mule  road,  by  $4,264  per 
annum,  and  cheaper  than  the  wide  road  with  38  Ib.  rail,  by 
$4,194  per  annum. 

In  proportion  as  the  business  increased  beyond  the  amount  as- 
sumed, the  advantage  of  the  small  road,  with  locomotives,  as 
against  the  animal  power,  would  increase  in  a  rapid  ratio,  and  as 
against  the  heavy  road,  it  would  rapidly  diminish.  The  measure 
of  business  assumed  is,  however,  entirely  insufficient  to  employ 
the  power  and  capacity  of  the  heavy  road. 

It  has  been  shown  what  it  will  cost  to  get  the  coal  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi river.  The  inquiry  remains :  Will  the  work  pay  ? 

The  Mount  Carbon  mine  is  about  the  south-westernmost  point 
of  the  great  Illinois  coal  field.  It  is  much  nearer  to  Cairo,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio,  than  any  of  the  mines  on  the  Ohio  or  its  tribu- 
taries. There  exists  no  other  mine  adjacent  to  the  Mississippi  ? 
between  it  and  New  Orleans,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  none  ever 
will  exist.  Its  depot  will  be  accessible  to  large  steamboats  during 
a  considerable  portion  of  the'  year,  when  the  navigation  from  the 
mines  on  the  lower  Ohio  will  be  shallow  and  difficult,  and  when 
drought  or  ice  shall  entirely  interrupt  all  boating  from  the  mines 
on  the  upper  Ohio. 


15 

The  coal  is,  for  steamers'  use,  and  for  smiths'  use,  equal  to  the 
best,  except,  perhaps,  that  of  the  Frostburg  .field,  that  has  yet  been 
opened  in  any  part  of  the  country.  The  analyses  of  Professors 
Johnson  and  B.  Silliman,  jr.,  and  of  Mr.  Mushet,  declare  its  ex- 
cellence. 

The  great  demand  is,  and  must  continue  to  be,  for  steamboats. 
But  for  coal  of  the  good  qualities  of  the  Mount  Carbon,  there  will 
be  a  constantly  increasing  demand  along  the  entire  extent  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  for  domestic  uses,  for  gas,  and  before  long,  for 
manufacturing  purposes.  Now,  owing  partly  to  the  very  limited 
supply  of  coal,  and  partly  to  the  very  bad  quality  of  much  that  is 
supplied,  the  steamboats  mix  wood  and  coal  in  their  furnaces. 
Their  demand  for  coal  will  be  in  advance  of  any  supply  that  can 
be  furnished  them  for  years.  If  they  could  "  coal "  as  conveniently 
as  they  can  "wood,"  they  would  very  soon  abandon  the  use  of 
wood  altogether.  The  average  price  for  steamboat  wood  on  the 
Mississippi,  below  St.  Louis,  is,  as  I  was  told,  $2  per  cord.  (I  saw 
it  sell  for  $2  25  in  June  last.)  One  ton  of  Mount  Carbon  coal  is,  for 
generating  steam,  equal  to  at  least  2^  cords  of  mixed  ash  and  cotton 
wood,  and  its  stowage  is  about  ^  of  its  equivalent  of  wood.  Throw- 
ing out  of  consideration,  however,  the  economy  of  stowage,  we 
have  for  the  price  per  ton  of  coal  equal  to  the  price  of  wood,  $5, 
or  (as  they  always  sell  by  the  bushel)  16|  cents  per  bushel.  The 
boats  in  which  I  travelled,  paid  at  Cairo,  at  a  time  when  the  Ohio 
and  its  tributaries  were  full,  and  a  very  large  quantity  of  coal  had 
accumulated  there,  10  cents  per  bushel,  or  $3  per  ton,  for  very  in- 
ferior coal,  and  this,  I  was  informed,  was  the  lowest  price  ever 
paid  at  that  point.  I  believe  the  company  would  be  able  to  sell 
for  cash  to  boats  and  dealers  at  Fountain  Bluff  depot,  at  least 
47,000  tons  per  year  for  that  price.  If  they  please  to  extend  their 
operations,  and  establish  coal  yards  of  their  own  at  various  points 
on  the  lower  Mississippi,  their  profits  could  be  increased. 

47,000  tons  cost  the  company  at  the  river  on  the 

3  ft.  plate  rail  road,  with  locomotives,  -  -  $51,626  00 

47,000  tons  sold  at  10  cents  per  bushel,  or  $3  per 

ton,  amount  to  -  -  -  -  -  8141,000  00 


Pofits  to  the  company,  V.  -     $89,374  00 

At  5  cents  per  bushel,  or  $1  50  per  ton,  the  profit 

to  the  company  on  47,000  tons  is  -     $18,874  00 

At  3.66  cents  per  bushel,  the  company  lose  taxes  and  interest 
on  real  estate. 


16 

These  conclusions  seem  extravagant.  I  am  satisfied  of  their 
truth,  for  the  facts  are  all  as  stated,  and  the  estimates  I  know  to 
be  ample  in  every  particular. 

The  area  of  the  coal  land  of  the  company,  according  to  an  es- 
timate made  for  me  by  Mr.  Dudding,  the  company's  agent  at 
Murphrysboro',  in  which  the  areas  of  the  various  tracts  of  land 
are  taken  from  the  U.  S.  surveys,  is  six  hundred  and  ten  (610) 
acres. 

Professor  Johnson  gives  the  specific  gravity  of  the  coal  1.29, 
and  Professor  Silliman,  1.352.  The  mean  of  these  L321  being 
taken,  the  weight  of  a  cubic  foot  of  coal  is  82.56  Ibs.  The  thick- 
ness of  clear  coal  in  the  principal  vein  is  5.25  feet.  Excluding 
from  the  calculation  the  upper  or  "  3  ft.  stratum,"  we  have — 

82.56X5.25X43560=  18,880,646  Ibs.  or  8,429  tons  per  acre.  Al- 
lowing 2,429  tons  per  acre  for  waste  and  support,  the  yield  per 
acre  is  6,000  tons,  or  for  610  acres,  3,660,000  tons,  which,  at 
47,000  tons  per  year,  gives  78  years  for  the  operations  of  the  com- 
pany upon  their  own  present  property. 

In  closing  this  report  I  must  acknowledge  a  large  debt  of  thanks 
to  Mr.  Dudding  for  his  valuable  assistance  in  the  field,  and  for  the 
ready  kindness  with  which  he  made  his  house  a  home  for  me.  It 
may  not  also  be  out  of  place  to  add,  that  in  him  the  company  are 
fortunate  in  having  an  agent  by  whom  their  property  is  faithfully 
cared  for  and  protected. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

RANDOLPH  COYLE, 

Civil  Engineer. 


CHARTER  OF  THE  MOUNT  CARBON  COAL  COMPANY.  - 


An  act  to  incorporate  the  Mount  Carbon  Coal  Company. 

SECTION  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  re- 
presented in  the  General  Assembly,  That  Hall  Neilson  and  his 
associates,  successors,  and  assigns,  be,  and  they  are  hereby,  con- 
stituted a  body  corporate  and  politic,  by  the  name  and  style  of 
the  "Mount  Carbon  Coal  Company,"  for  the  more  convenient 
ownership  and  mining  of  coal,  and  'metals  and  minerals  contig- 
uous thereto,  in  the  county  of  Jackson,  and  the  transaction  of  the 
usual  business  of  companies  engaged  in  the  mining,  transporting, 
and  selling  of  coal,  and  the  other  products  of  coal  mines ;  and  the 
said  corporation,  by  the  said  name,  is  declared  and  hereby  made 
capable  in  law  to  sue  and  be  sued,  to  plead  and  be  impleaded,  to 
have  a  common  seal,  and  the  same  to  alter  and  renew  at  pleasure, 
to  make  rules  and  by-laws  for  the  regulation  and  management  of 
said  corporation,  consistent  with  the  laws  of  this  State,  and,  gene- 
rally, to  do  and  execute  whatever  by  law  shall  appertain  to  such 
bodies  politic :  Provided,  That  nothing  herein  contained  shall  be 
considered  as  conferring  on  the  said  corporation  any  banking 
privileges ;  but  they  shall  be  exclusively  confined  to  the  operations 
directly  necessary  for  carrying  on  the  mining,  coaling,  and  trans- 
portation of  coal,  and  the  construction  of  the  necessary  buildings, 
wharves,  and  boats ;  and  each  and  every  stockholder  shall  be,  in 
his  individual  capacity,  liable  for  the  debts  and  performance  of 
all  contracts  entered  into  by  said  corporation,  to  the  amount  of 
the  balance  unpaid  on  the  stock  of  such  stockholders. 

SEC.  2.  The  said  corporation  shall  have  the  right  to  hold,  pos- 
sess, and  enjoy,  not  exceeding  two  thousand  acres  of  land  ;  and 
the  whole  amount  of  the  capital  stock  shall  not  exceed  in  value 
the  sum  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  shall  be  divided  in- 
to four  thousand  shares;  which  capital  shall  be  employed  in  pur- 
chasing and  holding  the  lands  aforesaid,  and  in  constructing  and 
employing  buildings,  vessels,  boats,  arks,  and  such  other  improve- 
ments and  machinery  necessary  or  useful,  for  mining,  coaling,  and 
transporting  of  coal.  Every  member  of  said  company  shall  have 
a  certificate,  under  the  seal  of  the  corporation,  and  made  and  at- 
tested in  such  manner  and  form  as  the  by-laws  shall  direct,  certi- 
fying his  right  in  the  share  or  shares  owned  by  him  ;  and  the  stock 
of  said  company  shall,  in  the  nature  of  personal  property,  be  as- 
signable and  transferable,  according  to  such  rules  as  the  board  of 
directors  shall  establish;  and  no  stockholder  indebted  to  the  com- 
pany shall  be  permitted  to  make  a  transfer  or  receive  a  dividend 
until  such  debt  is  discharged,  or  security  given  for  the  same,  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  directors. 

SEC.  3.  For  the  managing  of  the  affairs  of  the  said  corporation, 
there  shall  be  chosen  from  the  stockholders  five  directors,  who 
2 


18 

shall  hold  their  offices  lor  one  year,  or  until  superseded  by  others. 
Thirty  days'  previous  notice,  by  publication  once  a  week  for  one 
month  in  the  newspaper  in  or  nearest  to  the  town  of  Brownsville, 
shall  be  given  of  the  first  election  of  directors,  and  there  shall  be 
annually  thereafter  a  like  election  at  the  town  of  Brownsville. 
In  all  such  elections  for  directors,  each  proprietor  of  shares  shall 
be  entitled  to  one  vote  for  every  five  shares  held  by  him,  which 
vote  may  be  given  by  himself  or  proxy  duly  authorized  under 
seal ;  and  a  majority  of  the  shares  shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice 
of  directors,  or  the  transaction  of  any  business  which  may  concern 
the  company  and  come  before  the  stockholders. 

SEC.  4.  A  majority  of  the  members  shall  form  a  quorum  to 
transact  business,  and  they  shall  meet  within  thirty  days  from  the 
time  they  shall  have  been  chosen  at  Brownsville,  and  choose  by 
ballot  one  of  their  number  for  president,  who  shall  serve  for  one 
year,  or  until  superseded  by  a  new  election;  and  there  shall  be, 
annually,  after  the  said  election,  a  like  election  in  Brownsville, 
by  the  directors  for  the  time  being,  of  a  president  for  said  corpo- 
ration. The  said  directors  shall  also  have  power  to  choose  and 
appoint  such  other  officers  and  agents,  to  conduct  and  prosecute 
the  business  of  the  said  corporation,  as  they  shall  deem  necessary 
and  proper  ;  and  they  shall  also  have  the  power,  for  good  cause, 
to  be  spread  at  large,  together  with  the  proof  in  support  thereof, 
upon  their  minutes,  to  remove  the  president  of  said  company  from 
office.  The  said  directors  shall  cause  to  be  kept,  duly  recorded 
in  books  to  be  provided  and  kept  for  the  purpose,  minutes  of  all 
their  proceedings,  and  regular  accounts  of  their  transactions,  as 
also  minutes  of  the  proceedings  of  the  stockholders  at  each  of 
their  meetings ;  which  books  may  at  anytime  be  inspected  by  any 
of  the  stockholders.  The  said  directors  shall  have  power  to  sup- 
ply any  vacancy  which  may  occur  in  the  office  of  president,  or  in 
their  own  body ;  and  the  president  or  directors  thus  appointed 
shall  hold  his  office  until  the  next  succeeding  annual  election  for 
such  officers. 

SEC.  5.  The  directors  may,  from  time  to  time,  at  any  meeting, 
assess  and  require  payment  of  such  sum  of  money,  not  exceeding 
twenty  per  cent,  upon  each  share  of  stock,  as  shall  be  judged  ne- 
cessary for  the  purposes  of  the  corporation,  to  be  paid  at  Browns- 
ville, to  such  person  as  the  said  directors  may  designate  and  au- 
thorize to  receive  the  same;  and  if,  after  the  publication  of  notice, 
once  a  week  for  two  months,  in  the  newspaper  at  or  nearest  to 
Brownsville,  of  the  time  of  payment,  and  of  the  person  appointed 
to  receive  the  same,  of  any  proportion  or  instalment  of  said  capi- 
tal stock,  any  stockholder  shall  fail  to  pay  his  instalment  at  the 
time  specified  m  said  notice,  the  amount  paid  by  such  delinquent 
stockholder  previously  shall  be  forfeited  to  the  company,  and  his 
stock  may  be  sold  to  any  person,  for  such  price  as  may  be  agreed 
upon  between  the  said  company  and  the  purchaser. 

SEC.  6.  Dividends  of  the  nett  profits  of  the  said  company  shall 
be  made  at  such  times  as  shall  be  determined  by  the  stockholders 


19 

in  general  meeting,  which  dividends  shall  be  paid  to  the  persons 
entitled  to  the  same,  on  demand  made  ten  days  after  making  and 
declaring  the  said  dividends,  and  their  amount  shall  be  published 
for  three  successive  weeks,  in  the  same  manner  as  other  notices 
are  hereinbefore  directed  to  be  published.  Whenever  said  divi- 
dends shall  exceed  twelve  and-a-half  per  cent,  per  annum,  the 
said  company  shall  pay  a  tax  in  the  county  treasury  of  Jackson 
county,  to  be  assessed  by  the  county  commissioners'  court  of  that 
county. 

SEC.  7.  The  stock  of  said  company  shall  be  deemed  personal 
estate,  and  pass  as  such  to  the  representatives  of  each  stockholder: 
Provided,  That  the  real  estate  which  may  be  held  by  said  corpo- 
ration shall  be  sold  and  conveyed,  whenever  they  may  deem  pro- 
per so  to  dispose  of  it,  according  to  the  forms  and  in  the  manner 
prescribed  by  law,  the  president  of  said  company  making  the  ac- 
knowledgment required  by  law,  for  and  on  behalf  of  the  company. 

SEC.  8.  Service  of  process  on  the  president  of  said  company 
shall  be  deemed  and  taken  as  sufficient  service  on  the  corporation, 
in  any  suit  which  maybe  instituted  against  it;  and  for  any  viola- 
tion of  the  provisions  of  this  act,  the  said  corporation  shall  be  held 
to  answer  by  scire  facias  in  the  Jackson  county  circuit  court ;  and 
if,  upon  the  trial  thereof,  it  shall  appear  that  such  violations  have 
been  committed,  and  it  shall  be  so  found,  the  said  court  may  and 
shall  give  judgment  revoking  this  charter.  And  such  proceed- 
ings by  scire  facias,  for  such  violations,  shall  be  instituted  and 
prosecuted,  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois, 
against  the  said  corporation. 

SEC.  9.  This  act  to  take  effect  from  its  passage,  and  to  continue 
in  force  thirty  years  thereafter:  Provided,  The  said  Hall  Neilson 
and  Thomas  Neilson,  their  assigns,  successors,  and  associates, 
under  "An  act  to  incorporate  the  Illinois  Manufacturing,  Mining, 
and  Exporting  Company,"  approved  January  28,  1833,  file  in  the 
office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  a  written  relinquishment,  under 
seal,  of  their  privileges  granted  by  said  act,  a  certificate  whereof 
shall  be  issued  by  said  Secretary  to  the  corporation  hereby 
created,  without  which  this  act  shall  not  take  effect.  The  said 
relinquishment  shall  be  so  filed  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  Au- 
gust next.* 

JAMES  SEMPLE, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

A.  M.  JENKINS, 

Speaker  of  the  Senate. 
Approved,  January  24,  1835. 

JOSEPH  DUNCAN,  Governor. 

*  All  the  provisions  of  the  9tli  section  of  the  above  charter  of  the  Monnt  Carbon  Coal  Company  havo 
been  fully  complied  with  by  Hall  Neilson  and  Thomas  Neilson,  and  are  of  record  in  the  office  of  the  Secie- 
tary  of  State  tor  the  State  of  Illinois. 


20 


An  act  supplemental  to  an  act  to  incorporate  the  Mount  Carbon 
Coal  Company,  to  increase  the  capital  of  said  company  to  one 
million  of  dollars,  for  the  purposes  hereinafter  mentioned. 

SEC.  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  repre- 
sented in  the  General  Assembly,  That  the  Mount  Carbon  Coal 
Company  are  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  locate,  con- 
struct, and  finally  complete  a  railroad  for  a  double  or  single  track, 
not  exceeding  ten  rods  in  width  on  level  ground,  commencing  at 
the  said  company's  coal  mines  on  the  Big  Muddy  river,  in  Jack- 
son county,  thence  to  the  Mississippi  river,  or  any  other  naviga- 
ble stream  in  said  county ;  and,  for  the  purpose  of  cuttings,  em- 
bankments, stone,  wood,  and  gravel,  may  take  as  much  more  land 
as  may  be  necessary  for  the  proper  security  and  construction  of 
said  railroad:  Provided,  That  all  damages  that  may  be  occa- 
sioned to  any  person  or  persons,  or  corporations,  by  the  taking  of 
such  lands  or  materials  for  the  purposes  aforesaid,  shall  be  paid 
for  by  said  company  in  the  manner  hereinafter  provided. 

SEC.  2.  The  capital  stock  of  said  company  shall  be  increased  to 
one  million  of  dollars,  divisible  into  shares  of  fifty  dollars  each,  on 
the  terms  and  under  the  conditions  and  provisions  specified  and 
contained  in  the  original  act  of  incorporation  of  said  company. 

SEC.  3.  A  toll  is  hereby  granted  and  established,  for  the  sole 
benefit  of  said  company,  upon  all  passengers  and  property  of  all 
descriptions,  which  may  be  conveyed  or  transported  on  said  rail- 
road, at  such  rates  per  mile  as  may  be  agreed  upon  and  estab- 
lished from  time  to  time  by  the  directors  of  said  company ;  and 
they  are  hereby  authorized  to  erect  toll-houses,  buildings,  estab- 
lish gates,  and  demand  toll  upon  the  road  when  completed,  and 
upon  such  points  thereof  as  shall  from  time  to  time  be  completed. 

SEC.  4.  The  said  company  shall  be  holden  to  pay  all  damages 
that  may  arise  to  any  person  or  corporation,  by  taking  their  land, 
stone,  wood,  and  gravel,  for  the  use  of  said  railroad,  when  the 
same  cannot  be  had  by  voluntary  agreement,  to  be  estimated  and 
recovered  in  the  same  manner  provided  by  law  for  the  recovery 
of  damages  happening  by  the  laying  out  of  highways. 

SEC.  5.  When  the  lands  or  other  property  or  estate  of  any  mar- 
ried woman,  infant,  or  person  non  compos  mentis,  shall  be  neces- 
sary for  the  construction  of  said  railroad,  the  husband  of  such 
married  woman,  and  the  guardian  of  such  infant  or  person  non 
compos  mentis,  may  release  all  damages  in  relation  to  the  land  or 
other  property  to  be  taken,  appropriated  as  aforesaid,  as  fully  as 
they  might  do  if  the  same  were  holden  in  their  own  rights,  re- 
spectively. 

SEC.  6.  If  any  person  shall  wilfully  do,  or  cause  to  be  done,  any 
act  or  acts  whatsoever,  whereby  any  building,  construction,  or 
work  of  said  company,  or  any  engine,  machine,  or  structure,  or 
any  matter  or  thing  appertaining  to  the  same,  shall  be  stopped, 
obstructed,  impaired,  weakened,  injured,  or  destroyed,  the  person 


21 

so  offending  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  shall 
forfeit  and  pay  to  said  corporation  triple  the  amount  of  damages 
sustained  by  means  of  such  offence  and  injury,  to  be  recovered  in 
the  name  of  said  corporation,  with  costs  of  suit,  by  action  of  debt, 
and  shall  be  subject  to  indictment  and  punishment  for  high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors,  as  in  other  cases. 

SEC.  7.  The  said  company  shall  commence  the  railroad  hereby 
authorized  to  be  made  within  two  years  from  the  passage  of  this 
act,  and  complete  the  same  within  ten  years ;  otherwise  this  act 
shall  be  null  and  void. 

SEC.  8.  The  said  corporation  is  hereby  authorized  to  join  any 
other  railroad  now  or  hereafter  to  be  incorporated  and  put  in 
operation  at  such  place,  and  on  such  terms  as  may  be  mutually 
agreed  upon  by  said  companies,  or,  in  case  of  disagreement  by 
said  companies,  upon  such  terms  and  at  such  places  as  the  court 
of  chancery  of  the  district  where  such  connexion  is  desired  shall 
decree,  upon  bill  filed  or  suit  instituted  for  that  purpose.. 

SEC.  9.  That  the  quantity  of  land  authorized  to  be  held  by  said 
company  shall  be  increased  from  two  thousand  acres  to  seven 
Thousand  acres. 

SEC.  10.  That  if,  after  the  necessary  surveys  for  the  construc- 
1  ion  of  said  railroad  shall  have  been  made,  it  shall  appear  to  said 
company  that  a  canal  from  their  said  mines  to  said  Mississippi 
river,  or  the  making  navigable  the  said  Big  Muddy  river  is  pre- 
ferable, that  then  and  in  that  case  said  company  are  hereby  au- 
thorized to  lay  off  and  construct  a  canal  from  the  said  mines  to 
1  he  said  Mississippi  river,  or  make  navigable  the  said  Big  Muddy 
river;  and  the  above  enactments,  so  far  as  the  same  aie  applica- 
ble, shall,  and  the  same  are  hereby  declared  to  be  in  full  force  . 
and  effect. 

SEC.  11.  This  act  shall  be  deemed  and  taken  as  a  public  act, 
and  as  such  shall  be  taken  notice  of  by  all  courts  of  justice  in  this 
State,  without  the  necessity  of  pleading'the  same. 

SEC.  12.  At  the  next  general  meeting,  the  directors  may  ad- 
journ to  such  place  as  may  be  adopted,  within  said  county,  as 
may  promote  the  interest  of  the  company,  and  for  the  convenience 
of  the  directors. 

SEC.  13.  The  stockholders  of  said  institution  shall  always  be 
held  severally  liable  to  the  debts  of  said  company,  to  the  full 
amount  of  the  stock  held  by  them  at  the  time  of  their  joint  in- 
debtedness. 

W.  L.  D.  EWING, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

S.  H.  ANDERSON, 

Speaker  of  the  Senate. 
Approved,  February  26,  1841. 

TUG.  CARLIN,  Governor. 


22 

AN  ACT 
Concerning  the  Mount  Carbon  Coal  Company. 

SECTION  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  People  of  the  State  of  Illinois, 
represented  in  the  General  Assembly,  That  the  act  entitled  "  An 
act  to  incorporate  the  Mount  Carbon  Coal  Company,"  approved 
the  twenty-fourth  day  of  January,  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  thirty-five,  and  the  act  supplemental  to  the  above  recited  act 
to  incorporate  the  Mount  Carbon  Coal  Company,  approved  Feb- 
ruary twenty-sixth,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty-one,  be, 
and  the  same  are  hereby,  declared  to  be  in  full  force  and  virtue. 

SECTION  2.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  said  Mount  Carbon 
Coal  Company  shall  commence  the  railroad  authorized  to  be 
made  by  the  aforesaid  supplemental  act,  within  one  year  from  the 
passage  of  this  act,  and  shall  complete  the  same  within  three 
years:  otherwise  this  act  shall  be  null  and  void. 

SECTION  3.  Be  it  further  enacted,  For  the  greater  convenience  of 
the  stockholders  and  the  better  management  of  the  affairs  of  the 
company,  the  stockholders  and  the  board  of  President  and  Directors 
may  holdtheir  meetings  in  the  county  of  Jackson,  State  of  Illinois, 
or  in  any  other  place  within  the  United  States  wrhich  may  be  con- 
sidered by  them  as  more  conducive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
pany :  Provided,  That  an  authorised  agent  of  said  company  shall 
at  all  times  reside  in  the  said  county  of  Jackson,  in  the  State  of 
Illinois;  and  that  the  service  of  legal  process  on  said  agent  shall 
be  deemed  sufficient  service  on  the  corporation  in  any  suit  or 
suits  which  may  be  instituted  against  it. 

SECTION  4.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  said  Mount  Carbon 
Coal  Company  may,  at  any  time  hereafter,  when  they  deem  it 
expedient,  continue  the  said  railroad  from  its  terminus  on  the 
Mississippi  river  to  the  town  of  Breeseville,  on  said  river,  and  in 
case  said  company  should  not  continue  or  extend  said  road  to 
Breeseville,  then  any  other  company  to  be  incorporated  may  so 
continue  and  extend  the  same. 

SECTION  5.  This  act  to  take  effect  from  its  passage,  and  to 
continue  in  force  thirtv  years  from  that  date. 

SIDNEY  BREESE, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
'WILLIAM  McMURTRY, 

Approved,  February  1,  1851.  Speaker  of  the  Senate. 

A.  C.  FRENCH,  Governor. 

UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA,  State  of  Illinois,  ss. 

I,  DAVID  L.  GREGG,  Secretary  of  State  of  the  said  State  of  Illi- 
nois, do  hereby  certify,  that  the  foregoing  is  a  true  copy  of  the 
enrolled  law  now  on  file  in  my  office. 

In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set   my  hand  and 
the  Great  Seal  of  the  State,  at  the  city  of  Springfield, 


DAVID  L.  GREGG, 

Secretary  of  State. 


23 


rom  Professor  Walter  R.Johnson,  to  one  of  the  Proprietors, 

WASHINGTON,  April  18,  1851. 

DEAR  SIR:  You  had  the  kindness  some  time  since  to  place  in 
my  possession  a  quantity  of  bituminous  coal,  stated  to  be  from 
the  mines  on  the  Big  Muddy  river,  in  Jackson  county,  Illinois. 
1  have  burned  in  stoves  and  grates  a  portion  of  the  sample,  and 
have  made  an  analysis  to  determine  the  proximate  constitution  of 
the  coal.  The  result  of  that  analysis  enables  me  to  compare  it 
with  other  American  and  with  several  foreign  coals,  of  which  the 
heating  power  has  been  determined  by  direct  experiment,  and  thus 
to  compute,  approximately,  the  evaporative  power  of  your  coal. 
You  will,  for  this  purpose,  excuse  me  for  referring  you  to  my  work 
on  American  and  Foreign  Coals,  in  which  you  will  find  the  details 
of  the  analysis,  and  the  tables  which  afford  the  means  of  com- 
parison between  the  Illinois  coal  and  others  having  a  similar  con- 
stitution. 

In  the  composition  of  its  combustible  matter,  your  coal  stands 
about  on  a  level  with  the  average  of  the  following  samples  which 
were  tested  during  my  experiments  at  the  Washington  Navy 
Yard,  in  1843,  viz:  Cannelton,  Indiana;  Midlothian,  (screened,) 
Virginia  ;  Tippecanoe,  Virginia  ;  Scotch  ;  and  Liverpool,  (Orrel.) 
The  average  evaporative  power  of  those  five  kinds  of  coal  was 
found  to  be  7.27 ;  and  if  your  coal  contained  as  much  earthy 
matter  or  waste  as  the  above  sarnples,  the  same  number  would, 
in  all  probability,  represent  its  practical  evaporative  power.  But. 
your  coal  is  much  more  free  from  earthy  matter  than  the  average 
of  those  above  named. 

Thus,  the  specimen  which  I  analyzed  of  the  Jackson  county 
coal,  gave  of  earthy  matter  only  -  3.56  per  cent. 

That  analyzed  by  Prof.  Silliman      -  -    4.50    "       " 

That  by  Mr.  David  Mushet,  in  England,  -     5.50    " 

Average,  -     4.52    "       " 

The  five  coals  above  named,  gave  -  -     8.05    "       " 

The  steam  power  of  your  coal  ought,  therefore,  to  be  computed 
as  high  at  least  as  7.55.  Indeed,  by  a  similar  comparison  of  your 
coal  with  five  of  the  samples  tried  by  the  British  Commissioners, 
viz:  three  quarters  Rock  Vein  and  Pon ty pool,  Welsh  ;  Grange- 
mouth  and  Elgin  Wallsend,  Scotch,  and  Broomhill,  English,  the 
computed  heating  power  of  the  Illinois  coal  would  be  found  still 
more  favorable,  and  would  rise  to  8.22. 

A  small  proportion  of  earthy  matter  in  any  coal  is  doubly  fa- 
vorable in  considering  its  character  as  a  fuel  for  steam  navigation. 
It  saves,  in  the  first  place,  the  necessity  of  throwing  overboard 
large  quantities  of  waste  matter,  containing  often  more  weight 
of  combustible  matter  than  of  real  ashes ;  .and,  in  the  second 
place,  it  avoids  the  obstruction  of  grates  and  the  diminution  of 
draught,  by  those  large  masses  of  slag  or  "  clinker"  which,  with 


24 

coals  of  great  impurity,  is  a  source  of  nearly  as  much  waste  of 
time,  labor  and  cost  of  repairs,  as  it  is  of  loss  of  fuel  from  imper- 
fect combustion. 

The  Illinois  coal  takes  fire  promptly,  burns  with  a  long  brilliant 
flame,  and  swells  moderately  in  coking,  so  as  to  give  suflicient 
admission  of  air  to  complete  the  combustion  of  the  coke  after  the 
flame  has  subsided. 

Yours,  very  respectfully, 

WALTER  R.  JOHNSON. 


Copy  of  the  Report  of  David  Mushet,  Esq.,  on  the  Ml.  Carbon  Coal. 

I  have  carefully  examined  the  specimen  of  American  coal  which 
you  sent  me,  and  find  it  an  open,  free  burning  coal,  giving  out  a 
great  body  of  flame,  and  developing  in  its  combustion  a  most  in- 
tense heat;  from  which  circumstance  I  should  consider  it  well 
calculated  to  fill  and  powerfully  heat  the  flues  of  steamboat  boil- 
ers. 

The  white  matter  to  which  you  allude  are  thin  lamina)  of  cal- 
careous spar,  very  common  in  some  of  the  iron-making  coals,  and 
denoting  the  absence  of  sulphur. 

From  the  nature  and  color  of  the  ashes,  when  used  for  steam 
boilers,  no  clinkering  or  corrosion  of  the  furnace  bars  would  take 
place,  and  which  is  a  very  important  consideration,  especially  in 
long  voyages.  Its  analysis  is  as  follows: 

Flame,  &c.,  36.97 

Carbon,        -  -     57.53 

White  clayey  ash,       -  5.50 


100.00  parts, 

I  should  class  the  coal  above  the  South  Staffordshire,  and  ap- 
,  preaching  those  of  North  Stafford  and  Shropshire. 

Yours,  truly, 

DAVID  MUSHET. 


Description  and  analysis  of  the  Coal  of ,  Big  Muddy  riccr,  by 
B.  Silliman,  Jr. 

Fracture  brilliant  in  the  extreme,  conchoidal,  and  divided  into 
rhombs  by  small  veins  of  calcareous  spar.  Specific  gravity  1.352  ; 
loses  iu  coking  38.20  per  cent. ;  leaves  a  light  white  ash  of  only 
4.50  per  cent.;  and  gives  57.30.  "It  is,"  remarks  the  analyst, 
"the  finest  coal  I  have  ever  analysed;  it  contains  no  trace  what- 
ever of  sulphurous  matter,  so  prejudicial  in  iron  making." 


HE 
1 

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